How to clean the left and right buttons?

Logitech M570 buttons are sticking, double clicking, and/or unresponsive. I've blown in/on the buttons, it helps for a little bit. all the guides on cleaning this mouse is for the ball, that is easy to clean, its under the buttons I need cleaned.

it would be nice to see a detailed cleaning / service post to the click mechanism. mine is unresponsive. i have a digital camera from the middle ages, however, the images are hit or miss as i have no control over the focus. there is a guide on youtube i believe, and another on instructables, but they don't show you how to service the mechanism, if it can even be serviced. i guess i'm going to find out by dissembling the unit one more time. i will attempt a photo shoot

If you're trying to open up the mouse yourself, note there are (5?) screws at the bottom.

One is immediately visible. 3 are under the rubber feet, and one is hidden inside the battery compartment, covered by the sticker so you need to feel around for the depression to tell where it is. You'll have to poke a hole through the sticker to get to it.

Remove the ball before trying to lift the top cover out.

But I have to agree. This mouse has terrible switches. Everyone else I know who uses it has had the same trouble, with the buttons becoming less responsive/double clicking/etc.

Mine is pretty banged up from having to repeatedly open it up, opening up the microswitches with a sewing needle and spraying contact cleaner (the kind car mechanics use) on the inside. It works but the effect usually only lasts for about 1 or 2 months before I have to do it again.

I'm from a different country so buying stuff from US ebay isn't an option for me. :( I wish I could just replace the switches with nice, durable ones.

@john yes, you need a soldering iron, desoldering braids, and solder. There are many videos on youtube on this so it shouldn't be too difficult. If you have never soldered before then I'd take it to an expert. You can easily rip off a through-hole pad or a lan connecting to it.

In case you also only want to clean it, the instructions in the video still apply, up to the part where you remove the solders of the microswitches. Instead of doing that, just open the microswitches and spray contact cleaner on the insides.

That said, and as you will read in the comments, it's not a permanent fix.

And it also looks like the newer runs Logitech is making is now using Omron Japan microswitches which seem to be faring better in terms of durability.

I believe that replacing the switches may not be the solution for most of these situations. I saw a response to this problem on a Logitech forum and the solution that they presented was that the actuator the presses the limit switch would deform to the point where it would not fully operate the switch. The remedy was to look in a groove at the bottom of the actuator for one or two dimples, and fill the dimples with epoxy or super glue. An alternate was to put a small strip of tape over the dimples. I choose to try the later and my problem was immediately corrected. That was much simpler than replacing the switches.

You do need to follow the steps above on opening and closing the track ball. While you have it open, blow out any dust inside the wheel.

The problem isn't always the deformed piece of the switch. Often (and I suspect, often eventually, from humid conditions in some places) it's corrosion.

Microswitches aren't airtight and I assume many clicks over time probably circulates the surrounding humid air into the chamber.

You can add tape or epoxy to improve the contact, and it'll fix it for a few months (I've been through that phase) but it'll start having problems again until no amount of tape or epoxy will fix it. The microswitch itself either needs to be painstakingly opened and cleaned with contact cleaner or replaced entirely.

I also had problems over time with the M570 left click. I finally found that the actuator surface of the left click where it contacts the microswitch has a shallow depression about 2.5 mm square right where it contacts the switch plunger. I placed a small piece of electrical tape (.0065"thick) in that depression and have not had a single dropped drag or double click problem since. jim4430

If you call to place an order and pay by cheque, shipping is free. These switches are the better ones, and by buying from DigiKey you make sure they aren't Chinese knock offs that will fail again soon.

I'm told they're also harder than the original ones, for a much more satisfying click feeling; and will not release the click until fully depressed as opposed to the original ones.

If you’re having problems with click bounce and a regular contact cleaner isn’t working you could try an oil for electric model train motor commutators: Peco Electrics Power-Lube PL-64 - I picked up a little in a model shop but you can buy it online in the UK for around £6 to £7 for a couple of mL - the key bounce problems have largely disappeared after one or two applications both for my M570s and for an older cordless trackman wheel that I had given up on. If you have one of these it is worth noting that they will run perfectly well on NiMH rechargeable cells whereas the M570 will not. The latter may win out on simple battery life but on the environmental side: using a rechargeable cell should be better in the longer term especially as the grid gets a higher proportion of renewables in service.

Resources

Repairability

Stay in the loop

It's time to speak out for your right to repair

We have a chance to guarantee our right to repair electronic
equipment—like smartphones, computers, and even farm equipment. This is a once-in-a-generation
chance to protect local repair jobs—the corner mom-and-pop repair shops that
keep getting squeezed out by manufacturers.

Join the cause and tell your state representative to support Right to Repair. Tell them you believe repair should be fair, affordable, and accessible. Stand up for your right to repair!